Rising of a Mage (2 page)

Anwar appeared behind the army where three men stood. Two were huge men, taller than Anwar and nearly as wide, with blackened armor. The third was an older man whose hair was now more gray then black. He was wearing a black robe with a black dragon patch over his left breast. “The black dragons? What do the black dragons want with Kampar?”

The old man gave Anwar a crazed smile. “The same thing the dragons want everywhere. CHAOS!” Lightning shot from both of his hands but was absorbed by Anwar’s shield. Anwar shot three fireballs one at each of his opponents. Each was stopped by a magical barrier before it hit. Anwar fired three more as he closed the distance. The shields were strong, but they would not stop his staff. The two warriors in black stepped forward as a bolt of lightning shot between them, and was absorbed by Anwar’s shield. A huge broadsword came in high from his left as the other man’s slash came low to the right. Anwar surprised them by leaping forward over the low swing and knocking away the high. He spun around and away from the reverse swing of the low attack and placed the man who was just getting the heavy sword back up in front of him, between himself and the second warrior. Another magical attack hit his barrier. Anwar continued to manoeuver, keeping the first opponent between himself and the second warrior. He blocked a couple of powerful attacks that were not fast enough. Then Anwar took a step back and as the man lunged forward attempting to drive the great sword into his chest, Anwar swung his staff, loosing his grip as the staff slid through his fingers. He was holding the small end of his staff as the enchanted clawed end slammed through the magical barrier and caved in the side of the man’s helmed head. The man fell to the ground dead, the tip of his sword, just inches from Anwar’s chest, falling away. The second opponent leaped over the first bringing his sword straight down on Anwar in an attempt to cut him in half. Anwar leapt to the side, intending to slam his staff into the man’s chest but, as his foot came down on a large rock, his ankle rolled and he felt it snap as he fell to the ground, taking a nasty gash in his hip. The warrior corrected wildly. The warrior rushed in, thinking the battle won. Anwar swung his staff with all the strength he could muster while lying on his back. He shattered the magical barrier and the man fell to the ground, leg broken. Anwar loosed a single bolt of lightning into the man’s chest. His body when taut, his chest bent upward away from the ground and then he lay still. The powerful but arrogant wizard of the black dragon, thinking his opponent helpless, he began to let loose spell after spell, attempting to break through the young wizard’s shield. Lightning followed by fire followed by ice slammed into Anwar’s shield.

Chapter One

Anwar

A
nwar was a fourteen year old boy. His curly light brown hair brushed his shoulders. His dark blue eyes were deeply set in his large slightly squared forehead—an inherited trait. His mother’s grandfather was a hill giant and, though it was not immediately obvious to anyone who had not spent time with giant folk, there were some inherited traits. Aside from his above-average size, his forehead was wide and slightly squared, his shoulders were wide, and connected with a neck that was more like a small tree trunk. He spent his days working his family farm, his skin tanned a dark olive color. As he wandered through the woods near his home he picked up a walking stick. He engulfed himself in an imaginary battle. He was battling trolls and goblins. He swung the stick at the head of a huge troll, smacking it into a tree. His reverse swing took out the nearest goblin, uprooting a small bush. As his imaginary battle raged on Anwar felt his body begin to tingle. His tightly corded muscles began to bulge, his long hair stood up as if he had been struck by lightning. He felt something driving him. He knew that there was more in store for him in life then working his family farm. With renewed determination, his body flowing with unfamiliar energy, he continued the imaginary battle. As he swung his staff at the nearest troll he screamed out, “Alamira!” The staff made contact with the nearest tree. His body began to convulse with the unfamiliar energy. There was a loud crack and a flash of light. His vision began to blur then fade. He fell to the ground unconscious.

When Anwar awoke it was nearly dark and the tree he had struck was broken and had fallen to the ground. Filled with excitement and a touch of guilt at the destruction of the tree, Anwar headed home. “Never destroy any living thing without cause,” his father always said. But how could he have knocked that tree down with only that staff he had picked up in the woods? The excitement of what he had done and the energy he had felt excited him. He had to hurry home, though; if he did not get back before the sun went down, his mother would have his hide.

Anwar lived in a small farm house similar to all of those nearby. It had three bedrooms a small kitchen where his father cooked, because women were meant to do the cleaning and cooking of desserts, but real meals were made by men, his father had told him. His father had built this house and started farming the land while his mother was pregnant with his older brother Cannen. Cannen was nineteen now and much bigger and stronger the Anwar. Anwar admired his brother Cannen who was six feet tall and a solid two hundred pounds, but Anwar knew he would be bigger than his brother and knew that there was more to life for him then being a simple farmer. Anwar was five foot six already, and, the last time they had gone into Kampar, he had weighed himself on the scales they used to sell the animals and he was already one hundred and fifty pounds, much bigger than any of his friends and nearly as large as his father who was an average man at around five ten and maybe one hundred and sixty pounds. Their size came from their mother who was only as tall as their father but much taller than any of the women. Her great grandmother had married a hill giant; small for his race and with an uncommon intelligence, he had left his home in search of a better life. In Kampar he was easily able to find work due to his size and strength and his eagerness to work and make a better life for himself. Anwar’s other brother Sammuel seemed to take after their father’s side; at sixteen, he was about average size—which is to say he was the same size as Anwar was at only thirteen. Anwar was already stronger than his brother Samuel and he believed he was smarter as well.

Anwar and Sammuel were very close, though, always picking on their sisters Camella, who was seventeen, and Grabriella, who was the youngest at ten. The mother had become pregnant a few years ago but they said there were complications and now she could have no more children. Anwar and Sammuel often played out the roles of wizards or knights or noble adventurers in those woods near their farm. But unlike his brothers, Anwar had no intention of staying and working the farm or moving into Kampar to find work. He wanted to find his own way. He wanted to see the world.

As Anwar lay in bed that night he dreamt of being an adventurer, fighting with his staff and casting spells. When he woke, he decided that it was a good staff; it was very strong and, for some reason, he felt a connection to it. He had used it in his dream and he was drawn to it somehow. He moved to the corner of the room, being cautious not to squeak the floor and wake his brothers. The room was dark, but he picked up his new staff without even feeling around for it, and wandered outside. He walked into the barn. It was dark and the moon provided very little illumination. He had not brought a flint to light the lamp. Before he went back into the house to get one, he raised his staff, pretending he was a wizard lighting the room. Anwar was amazed. The end of his staff began to glow softly—not enough to light the room, but he could see a few feet around him. He blinked his eyes then closed them shut and opened them to make sure he was not imagining it, but the staff was still glowing. He ran back to the house then quietly made his way back to his room and woke his brother Sammuel.

“Sam, Sam! Come with me and be quiet. I have to show you something.”

Annoyed that his brother had woke him up in the middle of the night, Sammuel followed his brother. “What are you about, Anwar?” he asked once they were outside.

“Just follow me to the barn; I’ll show you.”

Once inside the barn Anwar closed the door. “I can’t see anything in here, you fool.” Anwar held up his staff and imagined it glowing as it had before, and sure enough it began to glow even brighter than it had before. It was still not close to lighting the entire room but there was enough light to see everything about six feet in every direction. “What kind of trick is this, anyway?”

“It’s not a trick. Just try it. Just imagine the staff glowing like it is now.” Sammuel knew there were magical items and maybe his brother had somehow found one of those minor magical items somewhere, but where? So he took the staff and imagined light but nothing happened. After several attempts his head began to hurt from staring so hard, trying to make it work, he through the staff on the ground and went back to his bed.

Anwar knew his brother was upset, and he felt bad that it had not worked for him, but he had not tried to trick him. Standing in the dark, he realized he had no idea where the staff had landed. If Sam can’t do it, maybe it’s me, Anwar thought; he began imagining the staff glowing again like it had before, and a few feet away it began to glow. He picked up his staff went back to his room and lay in his bed. He was too excited to sleep but he did feel very exhausted. Finally he drifted off to sleep and his dreams were filled with images of being a great magician, fighting off all sorts of monsters and armies.

“Anwar! Anwar! Wake Up!” Anwar opened his eyes to his little sister jumping up and down, shaking him. “What, Gabby? What is it?”

“We’re going to the city, Anwar. Hurry! Breakfast is ready and we’re leaving afterwards.”

“Wizards!” Anwar said, and his sister looked at him.

“What?”

“Nothing. Let’s go eat.” Anwar ate as fast as he could. He couldn’t stop thinking about the wizard’s guild in Kampar. He had heard that the guild in Kampar wasn’t very big compared to some of the other cities but Kampar was the only city he had ever seen, and a wizard is a wizard, as far as he was concerned. He had questions, and today he might just get the answers.

As they made it into town their father pulled on the reins and brought the horse and the cart to a halt.

“Stay in the market, kids. The city is no place for wandering children.” “I’m going to go see the blacksmith, father. I hear he is looking to take on a new apprentice.” Anwar looked from his brother Cannen to his father, who seemed to be glowing with pride. He wondered if his father would be so proud when Anwar told him he was going to leave Kampar altogether and go find his own path in the world. That was years from now, though, and Anwar had other things on his mind at the moment. So while his father set up the cart and his sisters went off with their mother, Anwar and Sam headed into the city.

“Where are we going Anwar?”

“The Wizard’s Guild.”

“So that’s why you brought that stupid stick.”

“It’s a staff.”

When they made it to the wizard’s guild they just stood in front of the door and stared.

“We can’t go in there,” Sam said.

“Well, we can knock, can’t we?” Anwar said. As he reached for the door knocker, there was a voice behind him.

“Something I can do for you?”

Frightened, Anwar spun around and nearly tumbled down the steps. Trying to make up for appearing foolish, Anwar then tried to sound superior. “Not unless you’re a wizard.”

“That I am. What can I do for you, young one?”

Anwar was feeling more and more foolish, but he couldn’t help himself. “I thought wizards wore robes?”

The man looked down at himself and then smiled at Anwar. “Ah yes. I knew I forgot something this morning.” He pulled a wand from a pocket Anwar could not see, tapped his clothes and said, “So now that I’m a wizard again, is there something I can do for you, young sir?”

Now he’s just teasing, Anwar thought. Even though the man seemed to be teasing a bit, Anwar liked being called sir; no one had ever called him sir before.

“Me and my brother have some questions,” he said, nodding toward Sam.

“Well, why don’t we go inside and see if I have any answers, mister… ?” “Oh! I’m Anwar and this is my brother Sammuel.”

“And I am Gabriel. Pleasure to meet you both.”

Sitting there in master Gabriel’s office, staring at all of the books and the maps, Anwar was filled with excitement, but he did well to conceal his emotions.

“So what kind of questions can I help you answer, Mister Anwar?”

“My brother is a wizard,” Sam blurted out. It surprised Sam as much as it did Anwar, and they both sat there, staring at each other. To Anwar it seemed that his brother might be angry, but he sounded proud when he said that.

“Is that so?”

“Well, I can make light with my —” Anwar stopped. What if he takes my staff? He thought.

“Fear not, Mister Anwar, I have no desire to take what is yours. I have my own possessions—I need not take yours.”

Anwar wasn’t sure why, but he believed him. “. . . my staff,” he said finally.